Amanda Selvaratnam made the amazing decision to donate one of her kidneys to one of her children, Philip, age 22. He has suffered from kidney problems since he was a baby and was warned he would need dialysis or a kidney transplant as he grew older.
When his kidney function reduced to just 10 percent, he was taking 18 tablets a day to reduce the effects of his renal failure, and started to look for options for a suitable transplant.
Philip’s family were all tested to see if they would be a suitable match, including his dad, Christian, half sister, Kate and mum, Amanda – but his younger sister was not tested due to her age. All three were a match and, although Kate was the most suitable match, Amanda decided she would be the donor as Kate, age 32 is yet to have children.
Amanda is a keen runner, so was hoping this would ensure she was in good shape for both the operation and recovery and following a thorough medical MOT she was given the go ahead to proceed.
The operations took place on 22 February at St James’s Hospital, with everything going to plan and Philip is now recovering well and has a lot more energy than he did before – and Amanda is planning to get back to running so she can complete a marathon, or even an ultra-marathon next year!
About a third of all kidney transplants carried out in the UK are from living donors. There is an ever-increasing need for donors, so if you would like to find out more about becoming a living donor – visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk/become-a-living-donor